Lab Members

RYAN HOBBS, PhD

Primary Investigator

ROBERT FEEHAN, PhD

My graduate research contributions focused on identifying key regulatory elements involved in non-melanoma skin cancer initiation by investigating the interplay between mTORC2 and FOXO3a in keratinocyte survival following exposure to UVB. Results from these studies provide strong evidence that inhibition of mTORC2 enhances UVB-induced cell death in a FOXO3a-dependent manner and suggest FOXO3a activation by mTORC2 inhibitors may be a valuable chemopreventive target in NMSC. During this time, I also investigated the contributions of mTORC1-dependent pathways in the response to UVB by concentrating on the mTORC1 repressor REDD1. The combined data from my graduate career strongly suggest that characterizing the mechanisms and identifying key players involved in UVB-induced cell death and cell survival will be vital for developing therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of NMSC.

As a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Ryan Hobbs' Lab, my research emphasis has shifted from UVB-induced non-melanoma skin cancer to other skin pathologies, chiefly relating to skin immunological diseases. Our lab focuses on a transcriptional regulator protein AIRE (Autoimmune Regulator), which is the master regulator of immune tolerance. Previous studies have shown dysregulation of AIRE in humans causes the autoimmune disorder APECED (autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis–ectodermal dystrophy/dysplasia), a rare disorder typified by a combination of multiple endocrine (eg. hypoparathyroidism, adrenal gland dysfunction, hypogonadism) and epidermal abnormalities (eg. alopecia, vitiligo, and nail dystrophy). While much is known about AIRE in central immune tolerance (i.e. its function in thymic tissue), my work is focused on the lesser known roles AIRE in the periphery. Specifically, my research objective is to test how AIRE directly effects and regulates the stress-induced inflammatory response in keratinocytes and the skin microbiome. Currently, I am learning new techniques and skill sets in order to generate tools (e.g. a panel of monoclonal AIRE antibodies and an AIRE-specific proximity-based biotin labeling [BioID] system), which will enable myself and the lab to better analyze AIRE protein expression, localization, and function in skin keratinocytes.

ELIZABETH LESKO, BS

Elizabeth Lesko is a fourth-year Biomedical Sciences PhD student at the Penn State College of Medicine. She currently studies the potential contributions of the protein Autoimmune Regulator to early non-melanoma skin carcinogenesis in the Hobbs lab. She received her Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State in 2016 with an honors thesis focusing on work investigating the role of sLats1 in the Hippo pathway in drosophila. In addition to her work in the lab, Elizabeth also regularly writes for the science communications blog Lions Talk Science at https://lions-talk-science.org/

NATELLA MAGLAKELIDZE, BS

Natella Maglakelidze is a fourth-year MD/PhD student conducting research in the lab of Ryan Hobbs, PhD at the Penn State College of Medicine. Her current research focuses on the role of autoimmune regulator (Aire) in hair follicle biology and alopecia areata. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from The College of New Jersey in 2015. Her undergraduate research explored developmental genetics in zebrafish. She then completed a two-year Postbaccalaureate Cancer Research Training Award program at the National Cancer Institute where she investigated chronic graft-versus-host disease. Natella is originally from Russia and grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

PATRICK IOFFREDA, BS

Patrick Ioffreda is a Research Data Analyst in the Hobbs lab. His work includes supporting lab members through analyzing histology data, performing quantitative analyses, and creating reports and visual representations of the findings. In addition, he conducted an in-depth literature review compiling a list of all mutations in the AIRE protein and their associated diseases. He received his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in 2019 and will be entering his first year of medical school at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in the summer of 2021.

TING GAO, BS

Research Technologist

KYLE PATRICK, BS

Kyle Patrick is a Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Sciences program at the Penn State College of Medicine. His dissertation research focuses on the role of AIRE in regulating the cellular response to DNA damaging agents in skin keratinocytes. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA.